Where would you expect to go on a first date? Maybe a bar? Maybe the cinema? This was a really interesting date and one to be told in a tale as I don't think you could actually believe it was true.
We met on Tinder. I was clear that I wasn't there just for the sex, I was looking for a relationship. The chat in text have been going on for a few weeks because we've been out unable to meet. We had been getting on really really well. I was quite excited and hopeful for the date. He said he was a rough diamond dealer. Basically, it meant that a load of rocks were brought over which had diamonds in and part of his job was to put a team together to extract the diamonds and then sell them. He said it was a family business and have been run for years. He seemed clever enough, not that that really matters, but we got on really well and that was what did matter. On the text message anyway. We had had a couple of conversations and it had gone quite well.
Eventually we arrange to meet and I was really excited. I had to get a boat close to where we were going to meet and there was a beautiful view which I knew about not too far away. Also lots of bars and restaurants which were pretty cool in the area so I was quite hopeful. He asked me where I wanted to meet and I said that he could choose. I never want to set a really high expectation for someone, and you can tell a lot about someone by the location and the type of place they choose to go on a first date.
I seen pictures and he looked quite handsome. He was quite a big guy which I kind of like. Someone that's cuddly with a lot to grab hold of! I got off the boat and walked towards a kind of car park and bus station. I saw someone walking towards me I recognised the face, however the clothing wasn't quite what I expected. He was in a pair of filthy tracksuit bottoms and a dirty top with stains all over it. He was carrying a red plastic bag.
This was not at all like the type of pictures he had portrayed on his profile. I gave him the benefit of the doubt maybe he had just come from work. I asked him about this. He said no he finished a couple of hours ago. I asked him where we were going and he said:
"Let's go this way!"
We literally walked to the side of the bus station where there was some benches. He sat down there. I was a little bit confused. I said to him:
"Are we getting a bus somewhere?" He said "No, I thought we could sit here."
He opened the red plastic carrier bag, and inside were four cans of warm, cheap beer. He handed one to me. At this point I was not quite sure what to make of all this. I was fully aware that there was a really beautiful view literally a two minute walk away from where we were. I also understand that some people don't have very much money, and that they just can't afford to take you to a bar or a restaurant. However, the lack of thought, also his own personal hygiene and self-care was an indication of the type of person this person was as far as I was concerned. There also seem to be a lack of understanding from my side relating to how well he was doing his job if this was the case. He gave the indication that he would be perfectly able to afford to go to a bar at least. This was also very confusing.
I was pretty honest and asked if we could go to a bar. He said
"No I prefer to sit here."
So what do I do? Do I get up and leave? Or do I sit and drink my beer and have a chat with him and try to understand the person a little bit better face-to-face? I sat for a while and drank my beer. I asked him if he thought it was a good place for date and he thought it was okay. I suppose that's the answer to my question as to whether or not we will get on in the future. His idea and my idea about the ideal first date location was so far at the other end of the scale from mine I knew that this was never going to work out. Maybe this was some kind of test for me to see how I would react to this kind of date. I still have no idea.
I politely finish my beer and then said I was going to leave. I said straight away that I didn't think this was going to work out I'm always pretty honest. He sent me quite a nice message afterwards saying he was sorry it didn't work out. I sincerely hope he finds a really nice girl that enjoys sitting at the bus station just as much as he does. It's just that that girl will not be me!!!